In a large pot, bring broth, water and Italian seasoning to a boil. Add the ravioli and simmer for 3 minutes. Add carrots and celery and simmer for an additional 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and spinach and simmer for 2 more minutes or until vegetables are tender and the spinach is wilted.

Having run out of easy recipes to try, I started scouring the numerous emails I get from various sites that include links to recipes. This time around I focused on links from http://www.parents.com. As the original was only to feed 4, and didn’t have any meat in it, I thought it wise to double the recipe. One box + one can of vegetable broth = roughly 5½ cups. I’m not sure what the recipe meant by spinach tortellini, the only thing my store carried was tri-color. Uncertainty led me to purchase a frozen bag of spinach and cheese filled ravioli. It’s still something cheese stuffed in something pasta, right? This went together easily and would have been even faster if I had already had the carrots and celery in my freezer. The original calls for plum tomatoes, but there is that shelf of tomatoes in my freezer just begging to be used up. As the Juliets are small in size, I figured 2 would equal 1 plum and added them, seeds and all (frozen even) to the pot after I added the carrots and celery. Not sure how the boys would take to the wilted spinach, that did not get doubled. I was pleasantly surprised by this soup.

Son #4 was delighted with it as they learned about the food pyramid today in school (2nd grade) and this measured up with what he learned.

Vegetable = celery, carrots, spinach

Fruit = tomatoes (he knew this himself)

Protein = cheese (okay that’s a stretch) and spinach

Dairy = cheese

Grain = pasta

It was also good for him as he lost one front tooth and the other one is hanging by a thread. He doesn’t chew very well right now!